Smokehouse meat back



NOV. 6, 1951 .1.0. CADWALLADER SMOKEHOUSE MEAT RACK Filed Dec. 12, 1949 INVENTOR. J/f/v 0 @Amm/ Mae Arron/yay Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SMOKEHOUSE MEAT RACK John O. Cadwallader, Rocky Ford, Colo.

Application December 12, 1949, Serial No. 132,615

7 Claims. n (Cl. 211-118) This invention relates to a smokehouse meat rack. Smokehouse meat racks are usually large, rigid, rectangular frames designed to be hung from an overhead monorail for transportation into the stack. These large, bulky, rigid frames require an excessive amount of storage space when not in use.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple, economical, and highly efficient rack for smokehouse purposes which can be quickly and easily folded into a small space for storage, and which can be quickly and easily erected when desired for use.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efficiency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved smokehouse rack in the open, ready to use position;

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the improved rack in the closed or folded position.

The improved smokehouse rack employs a rectangular main frame consisting of elongated top and bottom members It joined at their extremities by means of vertical side members I 'I. A rectangular plate I2 is diagonally secured over the middle of each of the members IIJ in any desired manner, such as by means of suitable attachment screws or rivets I3.

A hanger bolt I4 extends through the upper member [Il and through the middle of the upper plate I2. A trolley hanger I5 is rotatably mounted on the bolt Iii and provided with suitable trolley wheels I to travel on an overhead monorail trolley system. It can be seen that when the wheels are in place on the monorail, the entire main frame can be freely rotated about the axis of the hanger bolt IS.

The side corners of the two plates I2 project oppositely outward from the members Ill, and these corners are provided with pivot bolts Il upon which the inner extremities of two U-shaped side frames S3 are hingedly mounted. Each side frame consists of a vertical member I8 and inwardly extending top and bottom members I9.

The inner extremities of the top and bottom members I9 are hingedly mounted on the pivot bolts I1 so that the side frames may be swung either parallel to, or at right angles to, the main frame. A stop member 2D extends outwardly from each side of the top member |`0 to stop the swing of the side frames at the right-angular position.

A plurality of rack bars 2I are hingedly mounted along one edge of each member Il upon suitable hinge members 22. The hinge members 22 rotate about vertical axes on U-bolts 25, and the rack bars are pivotally mounted on the hinge members 22 by means of hinge bolts 26 sothat they may swing both vertically and horizontally.

The rack bars at each side are held in parallel, spaced relation by means of a vertical spacing bar 23 which is pivoted to each rack bar 2| upon a suitable pivot rivet 24.

The extremities of the rack bars 2| are provided with hanging hooks 2l which engage locking pins 28 on the edge of the opposite vertical member I 8 when the device is in the open position.v

When in the closed position, the rack bars are supported by means of hooks 29 formed on the upper extremitiesof the vertical spacing bars 23 which engage in receiving openings 3B in the members IS, as shown in Fig. 4.

The rack bars are formed of structural angles so as to provide a horizontal flange for supporting a corrugated spacing strip 3l. When the device is lin the open position, the standard meatsupporting sticks, indicated at A, extend between the corrugations of the opposite strips 3l, and sausage or other meats to be smoked, indicated at B, are suspended from these sticks. A central hook 32 is suspended from the lower extremity of the hanger bolt Ill for suspending large hams and other large pieces.

When not in use, the two vertical spacing bars 23 are lifted to disengage the hooks 2l from the locking pins 23. The two side frames are then folded against the sides of the main frame, as shown in Fig. 4, and the rack bars are hooked in suspended position by means of the hooks 29.

It Will be noted that when folded the entire device only occupies a space equal to the width of the three frames, yet when open the device provides a frame or box c1" a width equal to the length of the bars 2l.

, While a speciic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention. l

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 1. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively flat, vertical,

f open,V rectangular main frame; a sidewardly facing U-shaped frame having a vertical member and top and bottom members at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; and rack bars pivoted to the vertical members of the main frame and extending to detachable connections on the vertical members of the U-shaped frames when the latter are positioned at right angles to the main frame.

2. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively flat, vertical, open. rectangular main frame; a sidewardly facing U-shaped frame having a vertical member and top and bottom Amembers at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; hinge members mounted on each side of said main frame in vertically spaced relation and arranged to swing about vertical axes; a rack bar connected with each hinge member so as to swing in a horizontal plane; spacing bars connecting the rack bars at each side of said main frame and maintaining said rack bars in parallel relation; and means for supporting the extremities of said rack bars from the adjacent U-shaped frame.

3. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively ilat, vertical, open, rectangular main frame; a sidewardly facing U-shaped frame having a vertical member and top and bottom members at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; hinge members mounted on each side of said main frame in vertically spaced relation and arranged to swing about vertical axes; a rack bar connected with each hinge member so as to swing in a horizontal plane; spacing bars connecting the rack bars at each side of said main irame and maintaining said rack bars in parallel relation; locking pins projecting from the Vertical member of each U-shaped frame; and hooked extremities formed on said rack bars engaging said locking pins when the side frames are at right angles to the main frame.

4. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively ilat, vertical, open, rectangular main frame; a sidewardly facing U-shaped side frame having a vertical member and top and bottom members at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; rack bars pivoted to the vertical members of the main frame, extending to the vertical members of the side frames and being detachably connected thereto when the latter are positioned at right angles to the main frame; and spacing strips secured to and extending longitudinally of each rack bar for supporting meat sticks in horizontally spaced relation between the opposite rack bars.

5. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively at, vertical, open, rectangular main frame; a sidewardly facing side frame having a vertical member and top and bottom members at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; hinge members mounted on each side of said main frame in vertically spaced relation and arranged to swing about vertical axes; a rack bar connected with each hinge member so as to swing in a horizontal plane; spacing bars connecting the rack bars at each side of said main frame and maintaining said rack bars in parallel relation; locking pins projecting from the vertical member of each side frame; hooked extremities formed on said rack bars engaging said locking pins when the side frames are at right angles to the main frame; and means for supporting said main frame from an overhead trolley track.

6. A rack for supporting meats for smoking operations, comprising: a relatively flat, vertical, open, rectangular 4main frame; a sidewardly facing side frame having a vertical member and top and bottom members at each side of said main frame, the inner ends of said top and bottom members being hinged adjacent the middle and on opposite sides of said main frame so that they may be swung to a position parallel to the main frame or at right angles thereto; hinge members mounted on each side of said main frame in vertically spaced relation and arranged to swing about vertical axes; a rack bar connected with each hinge member so as to swing in a horizontal plane; spacing bars connecting the rack bars at each side of said main frame and maintaining said rack bars in parallel relation; means for supporting the extremities of said rack bars from the adjacent side frame; and hooks formed on the upper extremities of said spacing bars and adapted to engage said side frames to sup-port said rack bars when said rack is in the closed position.

7. A smokehousc meat rack comprising: a main frame having a horizontal member with a vertical member depending from each extremity thereof; two side frames, each having a horizontal member with a vertical member depending from one extremity thereof; hinge means hingedly connecting the extremities of the horizontal members of the side frames to opposite sides of the mid-portion of the horizontal member of the main frame so that the side frames may be swung from positions alongside of said main frame tov positions at right angles therewith; and rack bars pivoted to the vertical members of the main frame and extending to detachable connection with the vertical members of the side frames when the latter are positioned at right angles to the main frame.

JOHN O. CADWALLADER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

